New York Governor Kathy Hochul publicly rebuked Tompkins County District Attorney Michael Van Houten on Friday, stating she “will not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug” after the DA’s office declined to pursue criminal charges in the alleged 2024 gang rape of a Cornell University student.

New evidence emerges

Documents obtained by The New York Times and a heavily redacted 99‑page summary of a Cornell disciplinary panel’s findings reveal additional Snapchat messages and photographs from the night in question. The evidence includes a screenshot of a group chat titled “Chi Phi Actives” and a photo of the victim inside the fraternity house during the alleged assault.

According to the Times, the victim’s six‑page sworn statement provided to prosecutors omitted explicit allegations of rape that she later described in a separate interview. While the statement mentioned being hit and feeling emotionally coerced, it lacked the stronger language used in her interview.

District attorney’s response

Van Houten’s office previously said criminal charges would not be pursued because the victim’s statement did not meet the threshold for prosecution. When asked about the newly obtained evidence, the DA’s staff referred all inquiries to Van Houten, who later emailed that any additional records gathered by Cornell police were “not pertinent to our analysis because we had Jane Doe’s comprehensive account of the events.”

A Cornell police investigator confirmed that campus police had continued to collect evidence, including additional interviews and chat messages, after the DA’s office initially declined to review them. However, the DA’s office reportedly decided not to consider the new material.

University and student reaction

Cornell University responded to the controversy by suspending and expelling the accused students, barring the Chi Phi fraternity chapter from campus, and establishing a sexual assault task force. Four fraternity members acknowledged sexual contact with the victim but insisted it was consensual; the remaining three denied any sexual encounter.

Student groups, including Students for a Democratic Cornell, announced a protest on campus Monday to demand accountability from the university and the district attorney’s office.

Legal developments

Separate court documents show that a Chi Phi fraternity member named in the victim’s civil suit is seeking to overturn the university’s disciplinary finding that held him responsible for attempted sexual exploitation.

The case continues to draw national attention, highlighting ongoing concerns about how campus investigations intersect with local law‑enforcement agencies.

Resources

Victims of sexual assault can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1‑800‑656‑4673 or chat 24/7 at online.rainn.org.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.